Silver Storm
by justanoutlaw
Summary: When Robin pulled away from the group on a tour of a creepy castle, he didn't expect to find the kingdom's lost princess.


Will was drunk off his ass, as he had been for most of their tours. It was John's turn to handle him which meant Robin could actually enjoy the Enchanted Castle. The three of them were camping in Storybrooke and it had been John's idea to see some of the sights while they were there. Will had laughed at it, but Robin didn't mind. He loved history. If he cared more about school and had actually graduated, maybe he would've majored in it in college.

The story went that before the little island had been adopted as a part of the United States, it had been its own governing country. The queen was a harsh ruler that had worked her way up from nothing and didn't care how she got her way, she just did. She and her husband-the kind, but submissive king-had one child: Princess Regina. For the most part, Princess Regina did as she was told, went to tea parties, did her lessons, etc. However, when she was 18, she fell in love with the stable hand. Her mother caught wind and was furious. She ordered for the stable hand to be murdered but in a great tragedy, the princess was as well. Or, so everyone thought. There were rumors that she survived but faked her death so she could escape her abusive mother and not grow to be queen one day like her.

Robin wasn't sure what drew him so often to the story, but he found himself reading up about it often. Legend had it that the castle was haunted. People who visited, swore they could hear the screams of the victims of the heartless queen. If you believed that the princess had perished that night, some said you could get a glimpse of her in the stables, waiting for her true love to return to her. Robin didn't believe that, but it was a fun to read nonetheless.

While John made sure that Will didn't break the antique vases, Robin headed up to the princess' bedroom. The blue canopy bed was roped off with a big sign that read " Do not sit or lay on the bed" . Her vanity was pressed against the wall, with various perfumes and makeup pallets out on display. Her hair brush was there as well. Upon closer inspection, Robin could see it still had bits of the princess' raven hair left behind.

He crossed to her desk where her diary lay next to a quill pen. Robin picked it up and began to flip through it, stopping midway.

Daniel gave me the prettiest lily from the garden today. I had to hide it in my room. More than anything I wish I could tell Mother, but she'd never understand. She wants me to marry a prince. If only she could understand that I don't want to be Queen one day. I'd rather just be free of this tower.

Robin thought of his days in foster care. All the times he ran away, not wanting to deal with another home. How lonely it had felt until he met Will and John. They became his family. If only the princess had people like that in her life.

"What are you doing with my diary?"

Robin dropped the journal and spun around. A short, young woman stood there. Her dark hair was pulled back in a long braid. She wore a blue medieval style dress that matched the bedding of the room. Her skin looked soft and she had a beauty mark right above her lips. Robin tilted her head; he hadn't remembered reenactors being a part of the tour.

"Sorry, I wondered off from the group…"

"What group?" She studied him closer. "What are you wearing?" Before he could answer, she looked around her room in even more confusion. "What have they done to my room?"

Robin stepped forward and put a hand on the young woman's arm, causing her to flinch. He frowned, taking her in carefully. She looked afraid, out of place. This was either a really good actor or someone who worked here.

"You can drop the act, you're a bit too good."

"What act? Why can't I lay on my bed?"

"What is your name?"

She stood up straight. "Regina, Princess of the Enchanted Forest."

Robin stared at her, still feeling like he could be getting punk'd. "And where did you come from, Regina?"

"The last thing I remember was going to meet someone. On the way, a wizard stopped me, he said to take this magic bean and it would transport me somewhere safe."

Wizards. Did Will spike my lemonade at lunch?

"Next thing I know," she continued. "I'm here. In this room." She looked up at Robin, her eyes now slightly less afraid. "With you."

Robin still didn't know what to believe. In front of him was this woman, claiming to be the long-lost princess of an island that now belonged to America. For all he knew, she could be a very good actor or someone that had just done drugs. Maybe Will or John had even put her up to this. Yet, there was something about her that seemed sincere, too sincere for it all to be fake.

The more he stared; he caught a glimpse of something on her neck. He looked closer and realized it was a ring pulled from a horse bridle. That was how the stable hand had proposed. She had been wearing it supposedly the night she died. It never appeared in any historian's findings and that's what drove people to believe the theory that she was still alive.

Robin looked back into her soft brown eyes and offered her a hand. "It's going to take a lot of explaining, Regina, but you're safe now." She looked confused. "You just have to trust me. Can you do that?"

She stared at him for a minute, before finally placing her hand in his.

"Yeah," she whispered. "I can do that."


End file.
